Ask a Question

Complying with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Shipping Regulations for Sealed Lead-Acid Batteries

Issue:

Are the batteries in your UPS products considered to be hazardous materials?

Product Line:

All UPS products

Environment:

All models, All Serial Numbers

Cause:

Resolution:
No, sealed lead-acid batteries, such as the ones used in APC UPSs, are not considered hazardous shipping materials.

All the batteries APC ships meet the requirements of UN Number 2800 (""Batteries, wet, non-spillable""). The Packaging Instruction Number (PIN) is 806, but there are exceptions that apply (A48 and A67). Exception A67 reads as follows:

""Non-spillable batteries are not subject to these regulations if, at a temperature of 55 degrees C (130 degrees F), the electrolyte will not flow from a ruptured or cracked case and there is no free liquid to flow and if, when
packaged for transport, the terminals are protected from short circuit."" Since APC's batteries meet this exception, they are not subject to the dangerous goods regulations.

In the United States, the Department of Transportation has an additional requirement regarding batteries which complies with the above.